And Life Goes On

The Dust Storm left me with drama.

Fortunately, I remembered to cover almost everything from sand and grit, but, did not remember to cover my computer.

Sand, dust and grit entered the electrical system and I have been without a computer for days. *dries eyes* * sniffs*

It had been arranged for a CD and DVD Burner to be installed into my comp, but, when she shut herself down for the last time major surjery was required.

Like a matyr to the guillatine I carried my 'baby' to her Doctor. I was a terrorist. I had bombed the tower and killed my "kid" through sheer and utter neglect.. *wails*

Matilda's face screamed at me when I arrived home. Floating on her screen were rather nice words, but I knew the real meaning ..... "Gimme back me bod!!"

I was forced to close down the screen in order to stop her yelling.

All went well with the operation - until her Doc saw the hard drive was chockers!
It couldn't even be defragged!

Well ...... he knew I wanted a CD & DVD Burner to relieve her of zillions of photos.

Then he discovered she had two hard drives. One was chockers, and the other one had nothing in it. And, the two were partitioned off.

There was only one thing to do, re operate to knock down the partition.

That meant everything had to be stripped from my 'baby's' insides Windows Professional reloaded with everything else.

It took a heck of a long time but, I am back on the air minus one thing.

During the reloading of Incredimail, the town suffered a power failure and I lost ALL my email from the simonetta account. In fact, I don't even know if it is working!

So, we start all over again!

While 'Matilda' was out of action and laying prostrate on the op table I managed to clean all the sand, grit and dust from the house; plus read; plus watch the most enchanting film I have watched for many a year.

"The Chronicles of Narnia" ( The Lion, The witch and The Wardrobe)


My drama ended well. The nightmare for the farmers continues.

The dust storm has taken heads off crops ready to be threshed.

For the farmer who owns livestock things are too grim. He is permitted 22% allowance of water now but, the price of hay is far too high.

The tiniest bale of hay one would only use for a flower bed costs $70. For farmers, the cost is too, far too high and in my areas they have started shooting the stock.
It is a nightmare. But, far kinder to the livestock than to leave them to starve to death in paddocks.

To take them to market is not worth the cost to drive them there as the farmer is paid next to nothing.

Today we had to vote. This was hard for country folk due to mismanagement by the Government on various issues, and no matter how many times the Government is told they still can't hear!

Can't? ...... or won't?

A friend of mine spent the entire time during the savage dustorm on the thresher gathering the heads of crops. Her stamina is high. The only time she stopped was when she smelled the smoke from the Wooroonook fires. Wooroonook is a long way from us but the wind brought a pall of smoke over the mallee and allowed it to enshroud us.

Terrified it was their property burning she checked everything and seeing all was safe, she got back into the uncovered cabin and continued threshing while her husband worked another field.

They finished near midnight and not even her teeth were visible from the dust, sand and grit. Dropping from exhaustion, she went home to down a glass of port and fall asleep where she sat.

There was time to shower and clean up when she awoke.

So I count my blessings - and they are many.